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Franklin Beer Board elects 2026 leadership, approves several alcohol permits (some contingent on occupancy)
Summary
At its Dec. 9 meeting, the Franklin Beer Board elected Jason Potts as chair and Greg Caesar as vice chair for 2026, approved a Habitat for Humanity special-event permit and granted new or contingent on-premises/off-premises alcohol licenses to four businesses; several approvals were contingent on final certificates of occupancy.
The Franklin Beer Board met Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, and elected Jason Potts as chair and Greg Caesar as vice chair for 2026, then approved multiple new alcohol permits and one special-event permit, several of them contingent on final certificates of occupancy.
The board opened at 4:36 p.m., took roll call and adopted the published agenda by unanimous roll-call vote. After approving minutes from the Nov. 11, 2025 meeting, the board moved to new business and nominations for leadership. A motion nominating Jason Potts for chair was seconded and carried; Potts accepted the nomination. A subsequent motion elected Greg Caesar as vice chair for 2026; both leadership votes were recorded as yes by Alderman Barnhill, Alderman Caesar and the chair.
The board next considered a special-event application from Habitat for Humanity Williamson (presented as the event “Hammers in High Heels”) for a fundraising event at The Factory at Franklin on March 27, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Managing agent Brianna Devoss told the board the fundraiser typically draws between 370 and 400 guests, will include silent and live auctions and dinner, and that Curio Brewing Company had offered to donate beer pending approval. Board members asked about server training and ID checks; Devoss said trained bartenders will enforce age verification. The special-event permit was approved by roll-call vote.
The board then reviewed four business license applications for on-premises or on- and off-premises consumption: - Taqueria La Casita (1210 West Main Street), presented by owner Yoel Gonzalez. Staff reported inspections were complete except for the certificate of occupancy; the board approved the on-premises application contingent on receipt of that certificate. Gonzalez said the operation will be small (roughly two servers), hours 10 a.m.–9 p.m., and that beer would be served to customers sitting with meals. - Black Dog Pub and Music Lounge (1331 West Main Street), presented by Mark and Peggy Driscoll as a live-music venue with a full bar. Staff recommended contingent approval pending certificate of occupancy; Driscolls described mandatory onboarding and ongoing training and confirmed servers will hold TBC licenses. The board approved the application contingent on the CO. - The Franklin Butchery (129 2nd Avenue North), presented by owner and managing agent Carlos Tirado as a 4,800-square-foot whole-animal butcher shop with a sandwich menu, 52 seats and a private dining space. Staff noted a pending certificate of occupancy earlier in the discussion; Tirado said the operation will employ about 12 staff with ServSafe and related certifications. The board approved the application by roll call.
Throughout the approvals, votes were recorded by roll call and passed unanimously among the three board members present. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.
What the approvals mean: several license approvals were granted conditionally where staff inspections remain incomplete (certificate of occupancy). Those conditions must be satisfied before full operational licensing is effective. No formal conditions beyond COs were added to the approvals recorded in the meeting.
